The Victimization of Women

Law, Policies, and Politics

Michelle L. Meloy and Susan L. Miller

Unique in its extensive coverage of policy topics as well as up-to-date inclusion of cutting-edge issues and published research on violence against women

An accessible and comprehensive overview ideal for courses on gender and crime and violence against women

The Victimization of Women

Law, Policies, and Politics

Michelle L. Meloy and Susan L. Miller

Description

In The Victimization of Women, Michelle Meloy and Susan Miller present a balanced and comprehensive summary of the most significant research on the victimizations, violence, and victim politics that disproportionately affect women. They examine the history of violence against women, the surrounding debates, the legal reforms, the related media and social-service responses, and the current science on intimate-partner violence, stalking, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. They augment these victimization findings with original research on women convicted of domestic battery and men convicted of sexual abuse and other sex-related offenses. In these new data, the authors explore the unanticipated consequences associated with changes to the laws governing domestic violence and the newer forms of sex-offender legislation. Based on qualitative data involving in-depth, offender-based interviews, and analyzing the circumstances surrounding arrests, victimizations, and experiences with the criminal justice system, The Victimization of Women makes great strides forward in understanding and ultimately combating violence against women.

The Victimization of Women

Law, Policies, and Politics

Michelle L. Meloy and Susan L. Miller

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Drawing the Contours of Victim Dilemmas 3. The Violent Victimization of Women: An Overview of Legal, Empirical and Measurement Issues 4. Media, Gender, and Crime Victims 5. Sexual Victimization: Offenders Speak out about their Victims 6. How Battered Women Lose: Unintended Consequences of Well-Intentioned Legal and Criminal Justice Policies 7. Assessing Where We Are, Where We Should Go and How Best to Get There

The Victimization of Women

Law, Policies, and Politics

Michelle L. Meloy and Susan L. Miller

Author Information

Michelle L. Meloy is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, Camden.

Susan L. Miller is Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. Her recent books include Victims as Offenders: The Paradox of Women's Violence in Relationships, and Criminal Justice Research and Practice: Diverse Voices from the Field.

The Victimization of Women

Law, Policies, and Politics

Michelle L. Meloy and Susan L. Miller

Reviews and Awards

"Meloy and Miller strategically and clearly tackle the complexities and variations in women's victimization through an interdisciplinary lens, making their excellent points with careful documentation and superb 'real life' examples. They appropriately and powerfully take on the media, the police and courts, racism, classism, and anti-feminists. This book will help students think critically about the societal myths, media portrayals, and police and court decisions that blame the victims and exonerate the abusers." --Joanne Belknap, Professor of Sociology, University of Colorado

"This book is essential reading for scholars, students, practitioners and policy makers seeking an in-depth and highly intelligible review of the major debates and controversies surrounding male-to-female violence in the United States. The historical material covered by the authors is especially useful and their scholarship meets the highest disciplinary standards. Undoubtedly, The Victimization of Women makes a very important and much needed contribution to the field." --Walter S. DeKeseredy, Professor of Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

"Drawing on in-depth, offender-based interviews, and analysis of the circumstances surrounding arrests, victimization, and experiences with the criminal justice system, Meloy and Miller explore the unanticipated consequences associated with changes to the laws governing domestic violence and the newer forms of sex-offender legislation." --Law & Social Inquiry